Going Solo with Sparkle & Grit: Wendy S. Meadows on Numbers, Burnout, and Balance

When attorneys start thinking about going solo, the decision often stays hidden for months. It is a quiet calculation happening in the background while they keep up with billable work, court, emails, and the unspoken pressure of workplace culture. In this week’s episode of Your Profitable Law Firm, I talked with family law attorney, mediator, consultant, and author Wendy S. Meadows about the personal and financial realities of becoming your own boss and how her Sparkle and Grit framework helps professionals manage burnout.

Below are the major lessons you can take straight into your own solo planning process. Wendy has been practicing family law for about 20 years and has coached many attorneys through their solo transitions. Her book Sparkle and Grit adds a practical lens to the mindset work that lawyers need to protect their energy and design the business they want.

Why the Solo Decision Stays a Secret

Wendy explained something that nearly every lawyer considering a solo practice feels but rarely says out loud. Legal environments often have high levels of internal awareness and gossip. Lawyers know everything about everyone, which makes it uncomfortable to let colleagues see doubts or plans forming. That tension creates a sense of secrecy around the decision to leave.

It also feels deceptive while you are preparing because firm dynamics, partner expectations, and long standing relationships make the thought of leaving feel heavier than it might in other industries. Wendy mentioned the emotional weight of small signals, such as ordering business cards or new letterhead and feeling like those decisions locked her into staying longer. Your body often reacts before your brain catches up. Repeated dread, tension before walking in the door, or feeling “itchy” are cues that it is time to pay closer attention.

The Practical Side: Know Your Numbers Before Anything Else

Both of us shared similar stories about leaving well paid jobs with heavy workloads, tight supervision, and a lack of flexibility. The emotional weight is real, but the financial piece is essential. Wendy made it clear that a solid start requires understanding what it takes to support your life and run a firm.

Her process includes:

1. A practical spreadsheet

She listed core items every attorney should calculate:

• Salary target

• Vacation expectations

• Malpractice insurance

• Software and subscriptions

• Office space

• Retirement contributions

• Taxes

• Administrative help

• Travel for CLE or conferences

Once these are listed, she recommends converting the salary goal into needed revenue. From there, calculate the number of hours per year required to support that revenue. That breakdown into weekly and daily targets gives clarity and removes guesswork.

2. Understanding your current workload

Most lawyers discover that the hours they work now exceed what would be required as a solo with streamlined operations. This often becomes a strong validation point for the decision to leave.

3. Evaluating your client book

Family law attorneys, and other relationship-driven practice areas, tend to transition more smoothly because clients hire the attorney, not the firm name. Reviewing open matters, relationships, and referral sources gives a clearer picture of how the first few months might look.

Accurate financial reporting matters here. As we discussed during the episode, accurate numbers guide better decisions. Inaccurate numbers lead to confusion and poor planning.

Getting Perspective from Past Clients

One of Wendy’s most valuable steps was meeting privately with two former clients who were successful business owners. She asked whether they would have hired her directly if she had been solo at the time. Both said yes. That feedback not only offered insight into her reputation but also strengthened referral relationships. It was a way to confirm that clients saw her as the value, not the firm around her.

Building a Presence Before You Need It

We talked about social media as an effective source of referral strength. It does not require daily promotional posts. It only requires showing up as a real person. Wendy started doing Facebook Lives back in 2016 and saw referrals increase simply because people regularly saw her name and personality. That familiarity increased trust and expanded her reach without formal marketing.

Your social presence is an asset even before you go solo. It helps future clients get to know who you are beyond the biography on your website.

Sparkle and Grit: The Mindset for a Sustainable Practice

Wendy’s book Sparkle and Grit was written for professionals caught in the repeating loop of burnout, overwhelm, and routine. She wrote the book she wished she had in 2015. The title represents two complementary parts of a healthy career:

• Sparkle represents joy, creativity, and authenticity

• Grit represents structure, routine, and discipline that support growth

Together they support a career and life that feels more like Technicolor and less like Groundhog Day.

Recognizing the Burnout Loop

Wendy shared several early indicators that burnout is approaching:

• Clumsiness such as bumping into walls or dropping things

• Irritability and short reactions

• Brain fog

• Reaching for alcohol quickly after work

• General fatigue

These signals happen before full burnout arrives and serve as cues to reassess workload, habits, and expectations.

Resetting Your Morning Routine

Morning routines are not meant to stay static. Life stages change the structure. Children grow, commuting shifts, responsibilities evolve, and your routine must move with those changes. Wendy now focuses on a short, intentional exercise each morning:

1. Think through the commitments on the calendar

2. Identify the most important moment of the day

3. Decide who you need to be for that moment

4. Choose one adjective to describe that version of you

5. Carry that anchor word with you throughout the day

This creates clarity and reduces decision fatigue, especially on high pressure days.

Connect with Wendy:

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-s-meadows/⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/wendy_s_meadows/⁠

Free Tool: Going Solo Simple Calculator A simple and clear way for lawyers to see what they actually need to earn to build a sustainable solo practice. Fill in the highlighted fields and the calculator does the math. Link: ⁠https://www.sparkleandgrit.com/going-solo-simple-calculator⁠

Another Free Resource: Pause Time Playbook A short guide to creating breathing room in your schedule so you can think and lead again. Link: ⁠https://www.sparkleandgrit.com/pause-time-playbookhttps://www.sparkleandgrit.com/playbook